Presently, there exist numerous types of insulative chests designed to store articles therein and to either heat or cool the article from its initial temperature. The most basic type of such insulative chests is what is commonly referred to as "ice chests". These ice chests typically include a generally rectangular, open-ended configuration. A lid, either removable or hinged to the chest, is provided to cover the opened end of the chest. During use, the articles to be cooled, such as picnic foods, are placed within the chest along with a block of ice and/or a supply of ice cubes. The ice contained within the ice chest functions to cool the articles placed therein.
One major disadvantage to any type of insulative chest utilizing ice as the cooling medium is the fact that the ice will, over time, melt and wet the articles placed within the ice chest. The wetting of the articles to be cooled with water often ruins the article completely such as, for example, a soaked sandwich. The wetting of the articles is also highly undesirable because of the mere fact that the articles usually must be wiped dry prior to use. Accordingly, there exists a great need in the industry for a means for preventing the articles to be cooled from being contaminated by melted ice.
Another major disadvantage to conventional ice chests is the fact that the articles to be cooled cannot be cooled to 32 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler. Some articles, such as containers of ice cream, will not be maintained in their frozen condition when stored in conventional ice chests. Accordingly, such frozen articles will typically thaw over a relatively short period of time.
In an area related to insulative chests, there is a great need in the shipping industry to be able to cool articles stored within relatively large chests or chambers during transport. More particularly, without limitation, in the agricultural fields, there is a great need to be able to store fruit and other farm products in a cool environment from the moment that the fruit is harvested. Indeed, it is common practice, in strawberry farming operations, to harvest the strawberries and place them in crates on trucks in the field. The crated strawberries are then transported to a processing plant. During this period of time, the crated strawberries are exposed to the usually excessive heat at the field and on the truck during transport. Accordingly, it is not uncommon for forty percent of the fruit to be damaged before it is actually consumed.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a method which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art methods and provides an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the insulative chest and chamber art.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chambered cooler for insertion into conventional insulative chests such as ice chests.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chambered cooler which is formed integrally with an ice chest.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chambered cooler designed to receive the cooling medium such as ice cubes therein in such a manner that, upon melting of the ice, the resulting water does not contaminate the articles stored within the ice chest.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chambered cooler having an opened end covered with a lid for permitting sodium chloride to be poured into the chambered cooler with the ice cubes to increase the melting of the ice while bringing the temperature within the chest to or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chambered cooler having a drain for draining the melted ice from within the chamber.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chambered cooler having a bottom, primary chamber approximating the bottom configuration of the ice chest so that the articles to be cooled are placed on top of the bottom chamber during storage within the ice chest.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chambered cooler including a bottom, primary chamber and an upstanding, secondary chamber, each designed to receive ice and, if desired, sodium chloride, therein to enhance the cooling of the articles placed in the ice chest.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chambered cooler having a primary, bottom chamber and an upstanding, secondary chamber with a lid, and further having a removable basket dimensioned to fit into an ice chest and operatively connected to the lid of the secondary cooler as to retain the lid in a closed position.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chambered cooler having a bottom, primary chamber and an upstanding, secondary chamber positioned at the middle portion thereof with a pair of baskets operatively connected to opposing sides of the lid fitted about the opened end of the upstanding, secondary chamber.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chambered cooler having a bottom, primary chamber and two upstanding, opened-ended, secondary chambers, each covered with a lid and a basket configured to fit between the upstanding, secondary walls and be operatively connected to the respective lids to retain the lids in their closed positions about the opened end of the secondary chambers.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chambered cooler designed to receive crates of fruits and other agricultural products to store the crated products in a cool environment in the field and during transport.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chambered cooler adapted to be lifted off of and back onto a conventional trailer for filling with crated fruit while in the field and then, later, during transport.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chambered cooler having an upper, primary ice chamber and a downwardly depending central ice chamber defining side storage zones for storage and subsequent cooling of the products stored therein when the ice chambers are filled with ice.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chambered cooler adapted to be stacked one on top of the other and the respective ice chambers being sealingly connected together such that ice poured into the upper, primary chamber of the uppermost chambered cooler flows into the ice chambers of the intermediate and lower chambered coolers, thereby filling all of the chambers with ice.
Another object of this invention is to provide a set of doors providing access to the storage areas of the chambered cooler.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure contained herein and in the above identified patents, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.